Efficacy and safety of fractional CO2 laser versus fractional Er:YAG laser in the treatment of facial skin wrinkles

Abstract

Ablative fractional lasers were introduced for treating facial rhytides. Few studies have compared fractional CO and Er:YAG lasers on cutaneous photodamages by a split trial. The aim of the present study was to compare these modalities in a randomized controlled double-blind split-face design with multiple sessions and larger sample size compared to previous studies done before. Forty patients with facial wrinkles were enrolled. Patients were randomly assigned to receive three monthly treatments on each side of the face, one with a fractional CO and one with a fractional Er:YAG laser. The evaluations included investigating clinical outcome determined by two independent dermatologists not enrolled in the treatment along with measuring skin biomechanical property of cheeks using a sensitive biometrologic device with the assessment of cutaneous resonance running time (CRRT). Moreover, possible side effects and patients' satisfaction have been recorded at baseline, 1 month after each treatment, and 3 months after the last treatment session. Clinical assessment showed both modalities significantly reduce facial wrinkles (p value < 0.05), with no appreciable difference between two lasers. Mean CRRT values also decreased significantly after the laser treatment compared to the baseline in both laser groups. There was no serious long-standing adverse effect after both laser treatments, but the discomfort was more pronounced by the participants after CO laser treatment. According to the present study, both fractional CO and fractional Er:YAG lasers show considerable clinical improvement of facial skin wrinkles with no serious adverse effects, but post-treatment discomfort seems to be lower with Er:YAG laser.

Efficacy of microneedling versus fractional Er:YAG laser in facial rejuvenation

“…5 In our recent study, we found comparable results in facial rejuvenation with fractional Er:YAG and fractional CO 2 lasers. 6 Microneedling, also known as percutaneous collagen induction (PCI), is a simple method for treating atrophic scars, wrinkles, and inoculation of subcutaneous drugs.…”

“…7 These methods are considered as the suitable options for skin rejuvenation and treatment of the acne scars. [8][9][10][11] However, to the best of our knowledge, there are limited studies in the literature to compare different rejuvenating devices such as CO 2 laser, Er:YAG lasers, 6 or microneedling. Therefore, the present study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of fractional Er:YAG laser with microneedling in facial rejuvenation.…”

Full‐face skin resurfacing using a combination of fractional and full spot ablative 2940 nm erbium laser

“…1 Erythema lasted longer than with fractional treatment alone; 2 weeks on average compared to a week or less for fractional-only treatment. 13,14 Prolonged erythema (>2 months) was less frequent (around 1%) than reported in studies with full-field only treatments (4-9% of patients). [15][16][17] The combination technique appears to be more effective than one or two sessions of fractional-only treatment 14,18 and comparable to full-spot only resurfacing.…”

“…13,14 Prolonged erythema (>2 months) was less frequent (around 1%) than reported in studies with full-field only treatments (4-9% of patients). [15][16][17] The combination technique appears to be more effective than one or two sessions of fractional-only treatment 14,18 and comparable to full-spot only resurfacing. 15 Comparing the efficacy with published studies is difficult, due to very different scales used for evaluation.…”

Antera 3D camera: A novel method for evaluating the therapeutic efficacy of fractional CO2 laser for surgical incision scars

“…Based on the pursuit of the better appearance of incision scars, laser technology is applied in the treatment of scars, among which fractional CO 2 laser is a kind of common technology used most widely. It uses microwaves technique to generate a great deal of matrix‐arranged ultrashort pulsed beam, the advantages of which are as follows: (a) With strong penetrating ability, it can easily penetrate into the dermis to stimulate self‐repair process, resulting in more collagen rearrangement, as Hsiao found that fractional CO 2 laser can facilitate transdermal delivery of vitamin C for treating melasma; (b) More fast postinjury microvascular healing process, as laser wound will be healed in 3‐6 days, without seepage, bleeding, or infection; and (c) By customizing individualized treatment program according to different needs, the diameter of the pores and the depth of irradiation can be adjusted, and a single treatment often causes a visible effect. With the promotion of clinical application, the combined applications of a variety of scar restraining means are proposed to obtain better therapeutic results …”